Francesco Schettino, the Italian cruise ship captain who caroused with his passengers before steering his ship dangerously close to shore and then fleeing immediately when it ran aground and capsized, leaving 11 (at last count) to die and thousands to flail in terror, sounds like a real go-getter. Here is a tape of an Italian Coast Guard official ordering Schettino, who was speaking by phone from a lifeboat, to get back aboard and help evacuate the women and children who were still on his boat. He said no.

Schettino had his reasons for staying put: "I am coordinating from here." "There is another lifeboat in the way." "It is dark and we can't see anything."

The Coast Guard official subjected him to a withering attack, but it was fruitless:

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Coast Guard: Get going. There are corpses already Schettino. Move!

Schettino: How many dead are there?

Coast Guard: I don't know. One I am aware of. You need to be telling me this. Christ!

Schettino: But you are aware that it is dark and we can't see anything?